Railway and tramway rail and wheel flange lubrication



May 28; 1935- E, G. Bul-CHER ET AL 2,003,242

RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY RAIL AND WHEEL FLANGE LUBRICATION Filed Aug. 19, 1935 Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES RAILWAY ANT) TRAMWAY RAIL AND' WHEEL FLANGE -LUmoATIoN Edwin George Butcher, Wahroonga, and William Edmund Jupe, Eastwood, New

- Australia Application August 19,

South Wales,

1933, Serial N0. 685,942

In Australia July 13, 1933 v17 Claims.

I'his invention relates to improved means for intermittently supplying very small quantities of lubricant of high viscosity to the wheel ilange side of the head of a railway or tramway rail and indirectly to the inner and upper portion of each wheel ange at or near curves on'the track without making any structural alterations to the rail or to the track.

Alubricant container, tted witha delivery mouth which is positioned near the wheel flange side of the rail head and is provided with a Weighted plunger, is secured to the rail so that vibration of the rail due to oncoming wheels eiects vibration of the container with the result that the plunger during therperiod of vibrationY forces further quantities of lubricant from the' container to the delivery mouth.

To regulate the distribution and the amount of lubricant delivered by the delivery mouthV oiv the container, a laterallyrmovable metal tongue, mounted as a gate over the delivery mouth and in the line of travelof the anges of the oncoming wheels, is adapted, when moved by a wheel ilange, to squeeze upwards and to direct to the Wheel flange side ofthe rail head a small quantity of lubricant from the mouth of the container.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form of the invention:-"

Fig. lis a part sectional elevation of a lubricator iitted to arail;

` Fig; 21s` a plan of the same showing portion of the rail; Y 'Y Fig. 3 is a central sectional elevation of the same;` y n l y Fig. 4 is a plan of a laterally movable tongue;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the tongue;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the tongue.

A'container I0, lled with stiff lubricant such as lubricating grease, is iitted near its base With a gradually shallowing spout II also lled with the lubricant and extending towards the rail. The delivery mouth ofA the container is Va narrow slot I2 formed near the top of the side of the spout `remote from the raily I3 and extends along the width of the spout parallel to the rail. .Anl adjustably Weighted plunger M'rests on the lubricant within the container I 8.

l The container IB is resiliently mounted near the track on springs I5 which are adjustably secured to approximately horizontal bars I 6 as by means of elongated slots and bolts Il. The bars I6 pass under the rail and are secured thereto by lugs I8. and I9. Byiadjustment of the bolts Il andthe Vinsertion of'spacers between thesprings and the bars the head of the spout II is' forced against the under face of the rail head and the mouth I2'positioned so that it lies approximately in the plane of the wheel'flange face 20 of the rail head.

Vibration of the rail I3 by the oncoming Wheels effects vibration of the container III with the result that the plunger I4 forces lubricant from the container to the mouth I2.

,"I'o control theA amount and the direction of* application of lubricant from the mouth I2 the lower lip of the mouth is fitted with `a pocketv 2l which is of approximately V shape and is adapted to house the bent lower end of a resilient metal tongue 22. The upper end of the tongue passes over the mouth I2 and extends upwards to about midway of the face 2l)Y of the rail head thus forming a gate forV theI mouth. The outer face of the tongue is tted ywith or formed as a wheel ilange contacting'gmember 23 which,`in the form illustrated, is of triangular vertical section whichdecreases in Widthy of base from the centre to eachA of the lateral ends of thetongue. The upper end of the tongue is, preferably, cambered away from Vthe l'rail head and each of its lateral ends is formed as a spreading plate 24 whichnormally rests against the rail face20 and is adapted to be forced against this face by each wheel ilange to'prevent escape of lubricant.Y A- side plate 25 on each lateral end of the Vtongue nests under the rail head and prevents excessive of the tongue. l Y.

Set screws 26 mounted in the outer wall of the pocket 2| bear against the face of the tonguev and are adapted to regulate the extent'of lateral movement of the tongue thus controlling the amount of lubricant distributed'from the rmouth I 2 on the passage. of each wheel ange. The set screws maybe locked afterthey have been upward movement adjusted.

Vertical WebsZ'I serve to stiffen the pocket 2|.

In operation, the mouth I2 having been p0- sitioned approximatelyv in' the Vertical plane of the. face` 2D of the'rail head, vibration of ythe rail i3 due tooncoming wheels is transmitted through the bars I6 to the container I0 so thatV the plunger duringthe period of the vibration forces lubricant to the mouth I2. Much of this vibration is upward, so that there is upward effort against the inertia of the plunger, with the resultV that lubricant is forced from the* mouth both before and at the instant of ar; rival atv the device of the oncoming wheels; this action occurs even when the container is mounted directly upon the bars I6, even with lubricant of relatively high viscosity; and, when the container is spring mounted as shown, it has been found that there is more vertical effort of the content of the container against the plunger. When a wheel ange bears against the ramp face of the tongue 22 the head of the tongue is moved towards the rail head to close the mouth I2. Portion of the lubricant in the mouth is thereby squeezed upwards and directed to the face 20 of the rail head andthe inner upper portion of the wheel` flange is at the same time lubricated. When the Wheel passes over the ramp the resilience of the tongue automatically returns the tongueto its original position in readiness for the next wheel flange.

We claim:-

1. A rail and wheel flange lubricator adapted to supply lubricant intermittently in small quantities to the wheel flange side of a rail head and comprising a lubricant container lled with lubricant and positioned near the track, a container delivery mouth .positioned near and parallel to the wheel flange side of the rail head, a Weighted plunger within the container resting on the lubricant, springs secured to the base of the container, and horizontal bars carrying the springs and secured to the rail.

2. A rail and wheel flange lubricator adapted to supply intermittently small quantities of lubricant to the wheel ilange side yof a rail head and comprising a lubricant container filled with lubricant and positioned near the track,a con` tainer spout projecting from the containervtowards the rail and adapted to be forced under and in contact with the under face of the rail head, a narrow delivery mouth of the container positioned near and parallel to the wheel flange side of the rail head, a Weighted plunger rest ing on the lubricant within the container, horirail foot, and a resilient metal tongue detach-V ably mounted on a lip of the delivery mouth and adapted to be Vmoved towards and away from the mouth.

4. A rail and Wheel flange lubricator adapted to supply intermittently small quantities of lubricant to the Wheel flange side of a rail head and comprising a lubricant container filled with lubricant and positioned near the trackan open delivery mouth of the container positioned near and parallel to the Wheel flange side of the rail head, afweighted plunger resting on the lubricant within the container, horizontal bars supporting the container kand secured to the rail foot, a laterallyl movable metal tongue mounted on alp of the delivery mouth ofthe container, and a screwvarranged to adjust the position of said tongue with respect to saidmouth.

near the track, a Weighted plunger resting on the lubricant Within the container, horizontal bars supporting the container and secured to the rail foot, an open delivery mouth of the container positioned near and parallel to the Wheel flange side of the rail head, a laterally movable metal tongue carried by a lip of the delivery mouth and projecting over and above the mouth, and a Wheel flange contacting member on the outer face of the tongue.

6. A rail and wheel flange lubricator adapted to supply intermittently small quantities of lubricant to the wheel flange side of a rail head and comprising a lubricant container filled With lubricant and positioned near the track, a weighted plunger resting on the lubricant within the container, springs supporting they container, horizontal bars secured to the springs and secured to the rail foot, a delivery mouth of the container positioned near and parallel to the Wheel flange side of the rail head, a laterally movable resilient metal tongue detachably mounted on a lip of the delivery mouth, a Wheel flange contacting member on the outer face of the tongue, and a ramp face on the contacting member.

7. A rail and Wheel flangelubricator adapted to supply intermittently small quantities of lubricant to the wheel flange side of a rail head and comprising a lubricant container positioned ear the track and filled with lubricant, a weighted plunger resting on the lubricant within the container, springs supporting the container, horizontal bars carrying the springs and secured to the rail foot, a delivery mouth of the container in the form of Y a slot positioned near the wheel flange side of the rail head, a laterally movable metal tongue mounted on a lip of the delivery mouth, a screw arranged to adjust'the position of said tongue with respect to said mouth, side plates on the tongue projecting under the rail head, and a ramp on the outer face of the tongue in the line of travel of the Wheel flanges.

-8. A rail and wheelflange lubricator adapted to supply'intermittently small quantities of lubricant to the wheel flange side of a rail head and comprising a lubricant container filled with lubricant and positioned near the track, a weighted plunger resting on the lubricant within the container, springs supporting the container, horizontal bars vcarrying the springs and secured to the rail foot, a delivery mouth of the container positioned near and parallel to the wheel flange side of the rail head, a pocket on a lip of the mouth, a laterally movable resilient metal tongue housed in the pocket and extending over and above the mouth, a spreading plate at each lateral end of the tongue, a side plate oneach lateral end of the tongue andprojecting under the rail head, a Wheel flange contacting member on the upper end of the tongue, a ramp face on the contacting member, and setrscrews ,on the pocket adapted to regulate the extent of lateral movement of the tongue.

9. A lubricator comprising a lubricant-container having a delivery-mouth adapted to be positioned adjacent to a side of -a rail-head, a weighted plunger adapted to rest on lubricant in said container, a supporting spring on said container, and a supporting member adapted to be connected to said spring and rigidly to a rail.

10. A lubricator comprising a lubricant-container, a spout extending'from the bottom of said container and having in its outer portion opposite Walls one of which is formed to abut the under side of a rail-head and the terminal edges of said Walls affording a delivery-mouth, a weighted plunger adapted to rest on lubricant in said container, and a supporting member for said container connectible thereto and rigidly connectible with a rail whereby wheel-imparted vibration is imparted upwardly tosaid container and lubricant therein against the inertia of said plunger whereby lubricant is forced from said mouth.

11. A lubricator comprising a lubricant-container having a delivery-mouth adapted to be positioned adjacent to a side of a rail-head, a yieldable tongue extending across said mouth and adapted to be pressed toward said mouth by a wheel flange, a weighted plunger adapted to rest on lubricant in said container, and a supporting member for said container connectible thereto and rigidly connectible to a rail whereby wheel-imparted rail vibration is imparted to said container and said plunger thereby caused Ato force lubricant from said mouth.

12. A lubricator comprising a lubricant-container having a delivery-mouth adapted to be positioned adjacent to a side of a rail-head, a delivery-restricting yieldable tongue extending across said mouth and adapted to be pressed toward said mouth by a wheel-flange, means for adjusting the position of said tongue with respect to said mouth, a weighted plunger adapted to rest on lubricant in said container, and a mounting member for said container connectible thereto and rigidly connectible to a rail whereby wheel-imparted rail vibration is imparted to said container and said plunger thereby caused to force lubricant from said mouth.

13. A lubricator for intermittent supply of lubricant to the side of a rail-head comprising a container of lubricant positioned near the rail track, a spout extending from the base of the container adapted to be positioned adjacent to the under face of the rail-head, a deliverymouth of the spout positioned near and' substantially parallel to the wheel-flange side of the rail-head, a weighted plunger resting on lubricant in the container, springs supporting the container, and bars carrying the springs and secured to the rail.

14. A lubricator comprising a container of luf Vbricant having a delivery-mouth adapted to be positioned adjacent to a side of a rail-head, a weighted plunger resting on and supported by lubricant inthe container, and a mounting member for said container connectible thereto and rigidly connectible to a rail whereby wheelimparted rail vibration is imparted upwardly to said container and lubricant therein against the inertia of said plunger whereby lubricant is forced from said mouth.

15. A lubricator comprising a container of lubricant, a spout extending from the bottom of said container and terminating in a mouth adapted to be positioned adjacent to a side of a rail-head, a weighted plunger resting on and supported by lubricant in the container, and a supporting member `for said container connectible thereto and' rigidly connectible to a rail whereby wheel-imparted rail vibration is imparted upwardly to said container and lubricant therein against the inertia vof said plunger whereby lubricant is forced from said mouth.

16. The combination, with a track-rail, of a container of lubricant having a delivery-mouth positioned adjacent to the side of the head of the rail, a weighted plunger resting on and supported by lubricant inthe container, and a member rigidly connected to and extending laterally from the rail andrconnected with said container whereby wheel-imparted rail vibration is imparted upwardly to said container and lubricant therein Aagainst the inertia of said plunger whereby lubricant is forced from said mouth.

1'7. The combination, with a track-rail, of a container of lubricant, a spout extending from the bottom of said container and terminating in a mouth at the side of the head of the rail,

a weighted plunger resting on and supported by lubricant in the container, and a member rigidly connected to and extending laterally from the rail and connected with said container whereby wheel-imparted rail vibration is imparted upwardly to said container and lubricant therein against the inertia of said plunger whereby lubricant is forced from said mouth.

EDWIN GEORGE BUTCHER. WILLIAM EDMUND JUPE. 

